


Four-Letter Word

by thebrightestbird



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Bittersweet and Frustrating, M/M, Spoilers for S2 finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-31 19:38:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3990271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebrightestbird/pseuds/thebrightestbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mack finds Fitz in the break area frantically touching his tablet, muttering “no” and “no good” and “God, no” with each swipe and tap. He’s alone.</p>
<p>Now’s as good a time as any.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four-Letter Word

**Author's Note:**

> Post-Season 2 finale story. This all happens immediately after the episode's ending.

Mack finds Fitz in the break area frantically touching his tablet, muttering “no” and “no good” and “God, no” with each swipe and tap. He’s alone.

Now’s as good a time as any.

Since he was reunited with the engineer while battling a teleporting, eyeless man with an affinity for long, tan coats and deadly crystals, Mack’s been thinking about a lot of things.

Feelings to be exact.

He’s really missed Fitz these few weeks. When Fitz came back to the Playground after running after Coulson, Mack hadn’t had a chance to really talk to him again. Then everything escalated, and Mack was the one to decide to leave.

All levels of hell broke loose, Mack was defending a ship again (he’s kept the ax), and suddenly it’s over.

He’s back at the Playground. In a room with a muttering Leopold Fitz. Who is very alive, and Mack is allowing himself to revel in that fact.

This is a second chance.  

“Hey, Turbo. What’re you up to?”

Fitz startles but flashes Mack a smile before quickly looking back to his tablet. “Just, uh, making some long overdue plans.”

“Like what?” Mack starts to ask but realizes he’s just delaying his real reason for talking to Fitz. “Wait, you can tell me later. I’m glad I ran into you. I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“Yeah?” Fitz finally lays the tablet down on his lap. “This isn’t goodbye again? I don’t think I could handle saying yet another goodbye to you.”

Mack’s stung by the jab, but Fitz deserves his chance to vent. They’ve been faced with some tough decisions to make. “No, man. This isn’t another goodbye. Honest.” He takes a deep breath. “This is something, well, I hope it’s something that’ll be good. Heaven knows we deserve it after everything.”

Fitz’s eyes fully soften at that. “Can’t argue with that. What’s your good news, Mack?”

Mack will not chicken out. He will _not_. Hell, he never used to be this hopeless with potential partners.

Fitz is really special though. He’s vulnerable, and he’s completely aware of his vulnerabilities. But he fights them. All the time.

He’s the bravest man Mack has ever known.

“I was thinking that it’s been too long since we spent time together. And I don’t mean working together.” Mack’s really trying to get the right words out. He _will_ use the word “date.” He doesn't want to be ambiguous about his intentions. “We should go out tonight ...”

He almost has the words “on a date” out of his mouth when Fitz tenses up.

“Tonight?” Fitz asks.

Fitz looks so troubled by the thought that Mack wonders what’s so terrible. Is it the prospect of spending time with him? Mack had thought saving all those lives on the ship with Fitz had burned some bridges for the two of them. He didn’t think Fitz would hold this much of a grudge.

“Yeah, tonight,” Mack tries again. He’s come too far. If he could just say that one word. “We could go someplace nice. Have a few drinks. Like a … reunion.”

A record scratch goes off in his head. _Reunion?_   He inwardly groans at his failure. _  
_

Fitz looks disappointed. “I’m sorry, Mack. That sounds great, really.” He stops and remembers to give a reassuring smile. “I have a previous engagement. That’s all.”

He moves to rest a hand on Mack’s arm. “Tomorrow night, I promise a proper reunion with drinks. Maybe we can gather a few of the others to come with us.”

Fitz starts to leave the room. “I have to go get ready for that, uh, _thing_ I’m doing tonight." He gets a far-off look on his face. "Come to think of it, I guess you could call it a reunion of sorts too.”

A soft smile creeps up, then he shakes himself of whatever captured him in that moment and turns completely around to leave.

Mack has never been more disappointed in himself. Fitz is definitely the bravest.

-|-|-

“Mack, really? After everything?”

“Yes, Barbara. Even after everything. I still couldn’t ask him out.”

Seeing Bobbi so severely wounded should be a wakeup call for Mack. Any of them could have been killed during the events of the last few days.

“Then go try again,” Bobbi says, like it’s the easiest thing to do.

“We should probably hang out tonight if you’re really leaving after you heal up. Get as much time as possible together.”

“No, no, no. I’m not going to be your excuse in avoiding telling Fitz how you feel about him. As much as I hate to admit it, I won’t be bouncing back from a bullet shot straight through me any time soon. Netflix and I will still be here tomorrow.”

A knock sounds on the door, but before Bobbi even gives permission to enter, it swings open to reveal Fitz.

“I’m sorry to barge in here, but I couldn’t find Mack in his room, and I just knew to try here next.” Fitz immediately locks eyes on Mack. “So, Mack. I have a question.”

Mack is still no braver than he was thirty minutes ago. “I thought you were going to get ready for whatever you’re doing tonight.”

“Funny, yeah, about that …  Well, no. I have to clear up something with you before I address that.” He pauses and just stares at Mack for a few beats, slotting the last pieces of a puzzle. “Were you asking me out on a date?”

Mack is stunned into honesty. “Yeah, Turbo,” he answers quietly. “I was.”

Fitz looks away and down, crosses his arms, and nods.

Bobbi grabs hold of Mack’s arm, tightening her grip and adding a whole new level of tension to this situation he really doesn’t need. He looks to see her staring back with unhinged excitement. “Say something,” she mouths and tries to shove him as best as her injured self can manage.

Before either one of them can react, Fitz clears his throat. They look back up.

Fitz is almost vibrating, bouncing up and down on his feet, hands moving on and off his hips again and again. His mouth almost saying something, then shutting.

He finally just stops and looks directly at Mack. “Your timing’s rubbish.”

With that he turns and leaves, quietly shutting the door behind him.

-|-|-

Mack leaves Bobbi’s room an hour later, talking with her about what happened and working out that he should leave Fitz to do what he needed to do that night and have a fresh conversation with him tomorrow.

He’s about to go to his room, but he’s struck with the feeling that he should take a last look at the alien artifact before he calls it a night.

Mack is surprised to see the door open and finds Fitz again with his tablet, this time even more frantically swiping at the screen.

“Fitz, what’s going on?”

He looks up at Mack with the widest eyes possible. “I can’t find Jemma.”

As soon as he says her name, a scream rips from the tablet. Fitz looks down in shock. Mack quickly goes to him, one arm coming around to support the smaller man.

Mack hits replay on the security footage Fitz was cueing up. After it's done replaying, the two men slowly turn around to look at the large, black object in the clear case. The door's open.

Fitz reaches a hand out to it – in fear and awe. He leaves his arm outstretched and turns to Mack. “I had a date.”

-end-

**Author's Note:**

> Yep. Steve/Peggy allusion.


End file.
